Filling in the Missing Years: 'Andor' Sets the Standard

As we bask in its recent Emmy wins, let’s take a deep breath and reflect on the grandeur and epic theatre that was Andor Season 2. We know that when Tony Gilroy pens a story, we are hooked in droves, and so it was for Andor Season 2 — just amazing!

But, after the many re-watches and full binges of live-action series and films, it dawned upon this Star Wars geek that Andor did something unique for us. And I think it’s something we’d all love to see Star Wars explore in future live projects: 

While the other live-action Star Wars shows started filling in more of the saga’s arc, Andor brought a whole new level of important, consequential live-action storytelling set in the ‘missing years.’

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We can sit back in awe of the Gilroys (and Chris Weitz, Gary Whitta, and John Knoll) and how brilliantly they penned a story about a little silver data card inserted into a blue and white R2 astromech droid that contained plans. Can creators replicate how Rogue One and now Andor filled a gap in the story SO magnificently?

What Are the Missing Years?

These years are really the key to my ponderings. 

I define the ‘missing years’ as the years that precede, succeed, and add the buttercream to the established ‘Skywalker Nine.’ The meat, sauce, cheese, and salad between the burger buns! 

Of course, the nine movies cover the Skywalker story, but as we die-hard Star Wars fans know, much more is going on, and as the new films and series appear, we have the opportunity to see so much of that! But what links could provide another lead into, or a connection between, movies or series?

The concept of the ‘missing years’ is about wanting more from and for the legendary Skywalker family and the galaxy that shapes their saga. Let’s remember that a young eight-year-old Aussie was bamboozled by the second of only TWO movies in existence way back in the 80s! He would never have dreamt of the plethora of options and Star Wars media available now! 

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It is AMAZING that so many more shows have emerged to explain the plotlines, unknown stories, unforgettable new characters, and overall, help us appreciate exactly what was happening on the edges of the main Skywalker arc we are all SO invested in and committed to as fans. What Andor has established in its relationship to Rogue One and A New Hope is that SO many of these little plots and stories can be made into groundbreaking films or series.

These ‘missing years’ are even more in the spotlight now because Andor’s final season is now complete (with critical acclaim and the hardware to match!). It's clear to me that it set a new standard in expanding this universe and enriching the films by providing stories that enhance, enrich, and dive deep into the moments set in stone by the original ‘Skywalker Nine’. 

What else needs this treatment? I hear you ask. Read on and dream big!

Filling in the Gaps

Return of the Jedi to The Force Awakens

Yes, friends, I’m going a bit out of order, but The Mandalorian was the first live-action show, so it seems like fair play!

The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka have lifted the veil on this part of the Star Wars timeline. We get an idea of what life is like in the galaxy with the Empire defeated (or largely so … or so the good guys think …) and the New Republic trying to manage things. We’re learning more about how the Mandalorian civilization fared through the rise of the Empire.

But in many ways, these series have all pulled on well-known threads and played a bit to Star Wars fans’ hearts: 

• Din Djarin is a new character, but we get to revisit and learn much more about the Mandalorians, a fan-favorite entity since Boba Fett first appeared as a cartoon (and of course, he’s paired with that endearing young member of Yoda’s species)! 

• We later reencounter Boba Fett himself and see Bo-Katan’s live-action debut. 

• We catch up with Ahsoka and get the surprise of a lifetime to see Luke Skywalker at the height of his Jedi powers! 

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What we learn about the state of the galaxy, and how events move from that bash on Endor to the rise of the First Order, feels almost secondary. Skeleton Crew offers a little more detail, but not much, given that At Attin purposely hid from the rest of the Empire.

But then, the arcs these shows started are still in progress, with Ahsoka’s second season and The Mandalorian and Grogu both in production. So it’s perhaps unfair to give a final verdict on them just yet… 

Revenge of the Sith to Obi-Wan Kenobi to A New Hope

Before Andor’s first season, Obi-Wan Kenobi landed in the gap between the Skywalker twins’ birth and our first introduction to them as young adults in the original film. 

Of course, everyone loved seeing Ewan McGregor play Obi-Wan again (clearly including Ewan himself!). And the Anakin flashbacks, bits of conversation with little Leia about her parents, and the confrontation between Vader and Kenobi were more than we expected.

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But these characters, of course, are no strangers to us. Sir Alec Guinness’s Obi-Wan explained much of what happened, and the closing scenes of Revenge of the Sith nicely tie into what we already knew. 

So, was more time on Tatooine and watching the twins as tykes an important story to tell? A story that truly adds to the films that went before? 

Perhaps not — at least, not to the degree Andor's story is, and how it enriches both Rogue One and A New Hope.

Andor to Rogue One to A New Hope

This is now THE most awesome binge of all time! Please sit back and wonder in awe at the fact that we can deep dive into the lead-up to the original 1977 founding film, with the story behind Leia’s failed escape aboard the Tantive IV with Captain Antilles and her hiding that data card in the ever-reliable and trustworthy little blue and white astromech. 

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Part of what we loved so much about these new stories is how they clearly set the stakes for what we first saw in the original film. Andor (both seasons) and Rogue One simply made A New Hope SO much richer and deeper. We’ve learned the faces and names behind the first two paragraphs of that legendary crawl!

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But with Rogue One, we only knew these characters for a couple of hours of screen time. We get glimpses of what the Rebel Alliance and Saw’s partisans look like. 

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In two seasons of Andor, we dive deep into all that: who these people were, what they’ve gone through, risked, and sacrificed. And we’ve seen what life was like under the Empire in a way we’ve never seen before! 

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We have become passionate fans of that entire cast of new heroes and villains in a way we did not expect, but also in a way that takes the viewing of what used to be the ONLY Star Wars story to the next level.

Where to Next?

With this in mind, how could the powers that be move into the future? Where else on the timeline are we looking forward to truly exploring more of the galaxy and the Star Wars mythos? Well, here are some ideas based solely on expanding the ‘Skywalker Nine’ and linking to the central theme of Grandfather, Son/Daughter, and Grandson.

The Acolyte to The Phantom Menace

We have just cracked the door into shedding live-action light on these fascinating “before” years! 

Attending to this era could give us the backstory of Anakin's birth to Shmi Skywalker. 

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We know that it was without paternity, but by covering these years in live-action, we could discover precisely what role Darth Plageuis had in the manipulations of midichlorians, and how Mae and Osha’s existence set the scene for the creation of a ‘Chosen One.’

The Phantom Menace to Attack of the Clones to Revenge of the Sith

Anakin’s early training, first missions with Obi-Wan, and introduction into the world of Padawanship would be amazing to witness in a live-action run-up to the groundbreaking Clone Wars animated series, showing us how their relationship developed. 

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This could show us, in live-action, just how they built their relationship. What pearls of wisdom did Obi-Wan share from Qui-Gon? What happened in all of those other times Anakin saved his life? What happened after the "business on Cato Neimoidia" that Mike Chen showed us in Brotherhood? 

Yes, we’ve seen depictions of Anakin and Obi-Wan in many forms over the years… but do you remember your reaction to the Ahsoka flashbacks?! The Ewan-Hayden flashbacks in Obi-Wan Kenobi? Yes? Now you know it would be simply AWESOME!

Obi-Wan Kenobi to Andor to A New Hope

We’ve seen the Skywalker twins at ten years old, already well entrenched in their everyday lives on Alderaan and Tatooine, respectively. This now opens the door for more live-action stories between Leia’s return to Alderdaan and appearing aboard the Tantive IV, and Bail’s appearance in Andor as Mon Mothma’s ally in the Senate. 

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We could discover more about Luke and how his passion for being a starfighter pilot plays out with his friends Biggs, Camie, and Fixer at Tosche Station on Tatooine. These teenage years for the twins could play out a little Harry Potter-like as we watch the awesome roller-coaster ride that is adolescence and the early adolescent years unfold for two galaxy-changing young people.

Return of the Jedi to The Force Awakens

Here is the real opportunity to fill a gap. We already have amazing live-action shows and stories in The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew. We see Luke a couple of times, including the earliest days of his new academy on Ossus (which we later see destroyed in The Last Jedi flashbacks). We gradually learn a little more about the galaxy.

But in a flashback in The Rise of Skywalker, we see the twins dueling with lightsabers. We later hear of Leia’s decision to leave her training after seeing visions of her son’s death. We need more! We have oh, so many questions! We want to see EVERY MOMENT!

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Rather than steer away from the Skywalkers as has been the case so far, these years after the destruction of the Second Death Star, the death of Vader, and the rise of the First Order and the Resistance, would be such an amazing opportunity for live-action exploration of the ‘missing years’ for the duo and the galaxy around them. 

The story arc possibilities are endless. As always, some of the awesome books have set up brilliant adventures and new characters that would be perfect alongside the journey of the Skywalker twins to senior status in the final trilogy. These books alone, or even the combination of their stories, would make an AWESOME live-action film or series.

I trust you can see that the ‘missing years’ provide a glut of options for Lucasfilm and Disney to reproduce the beautiful synergy of Andor/Rogue One/Original Trilogy canon. 

Please, oh please, let’s hope that a future live-action project gives us a big screen (or living room flat-screen!) deep-dive into these eras. With a similar approach to what we just watched from Tony Gilroy and Co., Gareth Edwards, and George Lucas, too, we could have an unmissable twenty-plus movie-a-thon with direct links to the Skywalker family: a universe fleshed out like no other franchise, and weeks of compulsory watching and re-watching for fans! 

It would make an absolutely AMAZING binge party to start with The Acolyte (or before if James Mangold gets his way) and be able to watch hours and hours of Star Wars vision, further tying Anakin, Luke, and Leia together with the galaxy around them in a way that lends even greater gravitas to Rey’s decision to reject her grandfather’s legacy and choose to follow the Skywalkers’ path.

We have so, so much to look forward to. May the Force be with you… always.